Times are tough right now, and they don’t get less tough as you get older, according to this report. It seems a staggering number of septuagenarians are still paying off their pensions. If only they’d had help from a good financial planner, such as the one who paid for this PR:

Saga, which surveyed 1,500 older homeowners, said many were forced to ‘use their weekly pension to pay off what’s owed, instead of using it to enjoy their retirement’.

Saga indeed – in fact, the financial wing of Saga, who market themselves toward the older end of the market. Little surprise, then, to see them stoking up fears of fiscal instability… fears their own specialists can relieve:

Alex Edmans, at Saga Personal Finance, said: ‘Millions of older homeowners have found themselves abandoned by mortgage lenders and stuck in uncompetitive deals because of the unfair age restrictions that many lenders have in place.

‘If these people had access to a better deal they wouldn’t have to pay as much back each month which would leave them with more money to enjoy their retirement.’

‘For those in retirement struggling to meet their monthly mortgage costs it may be worth considering a lifetime mortgage to help ease the burden of the monthly repayments’, he said.

‘This may not be suitable for all, so it is well worth speaking with a specialist adviser.’

Clearly it’s a story that tapped into a nerve – which will no doubt please the company with the vested interest in making you suspicious about what debts your partner might have, who just happened to create this finding:

The study, by credit rating agency Noddle, also asked about finances at the beginning of a relationship, finding that more than a quarter of single men and women said that they would break up with a new partner if they found out they were in a lot of debt.

Noddle are the kind of company that can tell you if your partner has any debts, so it’s hardly going against their commercial interests to plant into the minds of readers that debt would be a good reason to end a relationship – despite, it’s worth pointing out, the overwhelming majority of people (75%) disagreeing with that particular hook line. As ever, with Bad PR surveys, the numbers do not matter, they’re simply the delivery mechanism for the message. As is the obligatory spokesperson quote:

Jacqueline Dewey, of Noddle, said: ‘Our research shows that as a nation we still shy away from talking about money, even with our spouse or partner.

‘Whilst it may seem tempting to keep this information to yourself, it can have a detrimental impact on your financial decisions and, ultimately, your relationship.

‘Knowing about your financial health – and that of anyone you are financially involved with – is crucial whether you’re applying for a credit card, getting a mortgage or looking for the best deals on utilities or mobile phones.

‘That’s why we’re calling for consumers to have full financial disclosure with their other halves.’

Yes, Jacqueline, you want people to understand their finances for the good of their relationship – not, say, because it will result in more business for Noddle.

Number of parents moving to their desired school catchment area is increasing, according to Santander research

The extent to which parents are resorting to to live within their desired school catchment area has been revealed in new research from Santander Mortgages as competition for places at the UK’s best schools continues to increase.

The bank surveyed just over 4,500 people to find families are prepared to spend over £32,000 to be near their most sought after school – significantly more than the average full-time UK salary of £27,195.

Having kids is hugely expensive (I’m told), and buying a house is hugely expensive (I know) – so it stands to reason that buying a house as a parent comes with particularly expensive demands. Still, an extra £32,000 on average? That’s no small amount. What civic-minded institution can we thank for paying for this ‘research’ to appear in the media?

The study by lender Santander says a quarter were forced to downsize to a less attractive home while 31 per cent moved to an area they did not like.

The angle is clear: convince parents that they ought to be aiming high to keep up with the Jones’, and then be the ones to hold their hand when they over-stretch on the mortgage. Fortunately, that’s the kind of dependable and risk-free system sound economic models are based on, with no history of ever having gone wrong in the past…

Santander’s Miguel Sard said: “Being within a certain school catchment area can often come at a cost.

It’s important that parents don’t stretch themselves beyond their means.”

Wise words, Mr Sard, but we’d be more inclined to take them at face value in something other than a glorified advert for your services.